Lauren's online journal started in 1996

My workstation
When my entry-level macbook Hard Drive crashed a few weeks ago, I felt like a squatter hopping from my 2 daughter’s desktop or my husband’s laptop. I felt it was time to revive my desktop. The last desktop (Pentium 3) I owned crashed around September last year. It had been with me for 6 years. Not bad right? Besides I needed to retrieve valuable files from my own desktop and that of my husband’s old computer. I considered the IMac since it blends so beautifully with my white-themed workstation but the price ranged from 68,988 (iMac 17 inch) to that of 184,988 pesos (iMac 24-inch). So poof.

I got my first quotation at PC Express Katipunan branch (http://pcx.com.ph/) which came out quite affordable. Lauren and Marielle’s desktop was purchased from them so I told them “give me the lowest price possible” as I am a frequent shopper. I also asked Abe’s advice on the specifications of my new desktop rig. Armed with new specifications, I asked for a new computation which came out even more expensive. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that the Asus P5B-MX Motherboard that I wanted wasn’t available. The motherboard came with a built in Wi-fi which I needed since I have multiple Internet connections in my Small Office Home Office (SOHO) setup and I just absolutely hate many wires running through the walls or floors. I want them hidden.

I was toying with a two 19-inch monitors but I felt I didn’t really need it. I wanted a wide screen resolution. Anyway, since PC Express couldn’t commit on a date of the motherboard availability, I trooped to Villman Computer System (villman.com) at their Katipunan branch. Villman isn’t highly recommended though. Jayvee recommended RSun Computers for their low low prices but I decided to get a nearby computer shop for support reasons. Villman’s initial quote was really high but in the end when they knew I was a serious buyer, they matched the PC express’ prices. I chose the Win XP pro over the Vista as I didn’t want to be bothered with incompatibility issues.

The final decision on my purchase was that I wanted the latest computer specifications for home business and medium multi-media usage. No games for me. I was also partial on the Asus brand because of the durability of my last desktop.

The CPU in an Asus Tower with the wifi antenna on the top
Having the tower on the floor hides the electrical connections which can really be untidy to look at.

My HP Office Jet Printer with Fax, Copier, Scanner
Abe advised me to get stand-alone versions of a fax, printer or scanner but I like my workstation as clutter-free as possible. I took a chance on this all-in-one office Printer. I felt so stupid when I kept calling the shop about a defective printer. I said “The printer keeps saying no paper”. All the while, I placed the paper in the wrong feed. Duh.

My blog as seen in a 1680 x 1050 screen resolution

Here are the complete specifications and their prices in PESOS as of June 28, 2007:

I love the clean look of my workstation. Clutter is minimal as most of the papers are tucked discreetly in drawers beside me. I work better when I don’t see clutter around my workspace. Now I can translate this investment by increasing my work productivity.